A/N: If you've ever happened to stumble upon my profile, you'd know that I say that I'm only regularly active during summer.
Luckily for readers of this story, I'm willing to spend my after-school nights working on this, but that doesn't mean you'll get daily updates! At best, they'll be every few days. At worst, you'll have to wait a week or more.
I'll try my best to update, and reviews do motivate me, so feel free to leave a review or two or three!
Muchos gracias to Life'sNotPerfect, C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only, and The Fortune Teller for your entertaining, thoughtful, nice reviews! You guys—and everyone else who reviewed—make my life just that much brighter.
Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to its rightful owners.
She awoke with a blossoming headache, the vestiges of stale perfume threatening to suffocate her. "What…?" She attempted to stand up, with no luck. Whatever had happened to her left her groggy and weak.
"Finally awake?" A soft, melodic voice chirped.
With difficulty, Sakura managed to turn her head in the direction of the voice. A petite—but stunningly beautiful—woman stood there. Her long, navy hair cascaded to her waist. She looked no more than ten years Sakura's senior; Sakura guessed her age to be thirty. "Who are you?"
"The name's Midori… Uchiha Midori."
Impossible, Sakura wanted to yell, but she knew better. Who knew if the woman was deranged or crazy? She was in no position to fight or defend herself. "But…the Uchihas were all…"
"Massacred by Itachi, I know," another humorless laugh. Her ivy eyes flashed with something dark—pain, perhaps?
"And…" Sakura hesitated, studying her captor's beautiful green orbs. "You don't have a Sharingan."
"Smart girl." Midori smiled, but it wasn't a friendly smile. It was a smile that chilled Sakura to the core. Very similar to the acidic smile of a certain man. Yep, definitely an Uchiha. "It might have something to do with the fact that I'm half-Haruno."
The pinkette's eyes widened. Every student at the Academy had learned about how the Uchihas hated to mingle their genes with that of other clans. That was one of the reasons the Uchiha clan was so strong, and their Kekkei Genkai was so powerful.
"Sure, it's uncommon, but it was just another love story in the end. My dad fell in love with a non-Uchiha. It caused a huge scandal, but they managed to overcome everything somehow. Of course, that didn't stop me from being bullied, or my mother from dying when I was seven."
"I'm sorr—"
"Young Academy-aged kids are the cruelest creatures on this planet," Midori continued on as if in a trance. "Just because I had green eyes and my name means 'green,' everyone picked on me. The teachers did nothing of course. I had to beat them all, to prove them wrong! So that's what I did! I studied, worked hard, did my best, and it all paid off. Karma rewarded me."
"I don't see how—"
"Not only was I gifted with a jounin ANBU position at age seventeen, but I also met the love of my life."
I don't see where this is going, Sakura thought to herself. The door was so close, if she made a run for it, maybe…
"Uchiha Itachi."
With those two words, Sakura was jerked back to reality. Sasuke's brother!
"Yes, we fell in love. Those were the best five years of my life. But then Konoha," Midori's eyes blazed with blatant hatred. "Ordered Itachi. To kill us all."
Sakura held her breath.
"When he got to me—he'd already dealt with my father—he just couldn't do it. We substituted a body of similar build and size and escaped far, far away. Itachi joined the Akatsuki and I waited in a small village. The days when he was allowed to come visit me made it all worth it...
"Until one day Itachi left and never came back."
Midori paused here, her fingers clenching into a strong but shaking fist.
"He'd been murdered. Murdered by the very little brother that he'd sacrificed everything for to save. Murdered."
"Sasuke thought—"
"I don't care what the bastard thought!" For a moment, her orbs seemed to glow crimson before cooling back down to green. "Whatever he thought, he thought was wrong. Because of him, I lost my lover, my protector, my best friend.
"That's why," Midori looked at Sakura now. It was a contemplative, controlled look. "I'm going to let him experience the same damn thing!"
Oh. It finally dawned on her. "You're going to use me to hurt him," Sakura said in an almost dreamlike voice.
"Exactly."
"It won't work."
"It's all planned out, honey. I've left him a note with directions. Your job is just to sit tight and watch the fun."
"He won't come for me."
"Sweetheart, drop the act."
"An act, that's what it was. Just an act. He doesn't love me, or even like me. I'm just an object to be used by him. Nothing more."
"Don't be stupid," Midori said, but she was frowning ever so slightly. "He'll come. Just you wait."
So they waited.
-oOoOo-
The sun was beginning its downward spiral when Midori finally stood up. She looked like the cat that ate the canary.
"He's here," she grinned triumphantly. "Perfect."
"…You're lying." Sakura's expression didn't falter.
Midori just smiled.
"You can't beat him anyways. He's strong. Stronger than Itachi."
"Darling," Midori pulled on a pair of Chakra-Block gloves and grabbed a long katana, not dissimilar to Sasuke's blade, although this one was thinner and looked lighter. She was in battle-mode now; Sakura could see it in her eyes. It was the same cold, hard look she'd seen so many times before in the faces of the young and old, fresh and scarred. A look of weariness and determination. "So am I."
And that was that, because at that moment a cautious voice called out, "Sakura? Hello?"
"Sasuke! Go awa—" A gloved hand harshly covered her mouth.
"Up here, sweetie!" Midori said in a sing-song voice.
He was more tentative this time around. There was the sharp noise of a sword being unsheathed. "Who are you?"
Pause.
"Why don't you come find out, hm?"
Another pause, and then a series of thumps as he ascended the stairs.
The first thing Sakura saw was his hair, his stupid chicken-butt hair (now that she thought about it, the same shade as Midori's hair). Then his face. Then his Uchiha-crested flak jacket and navy khakis. He clutched his long, sleek katana in his hands.
"…You. I know you." Sasuke surveyed the scene, his eyes landing on the smirking Midori. "Itachi brought you home once. His girlfriend…you should be dead," he stated coolly.
"As I remember you," Midori said. "The wretched brat of a baby brother who killed Itachi for no reason."
"I had a reason."
"A stupid, wrong, inaccurate one."
"I was misinformed."
Midori sneered, and when she spoke, her voice was dripping with contempt. "I'm sure you were…Sasuke."
A long, uncomfortable silence ensued.
"Give me Sakura."
"Why?" Midori countered. "You took Itachi's life, so why shouldn't I take hers? An eye for an eye, a life for a life. That's the way this world works, honey. Get used to it."
Silence. What was it with Uchihas and silences? Off in the distance, Sakura heard a cricket chirping and wondered where they were right now. I don't think we're in Konoha anymore, huh?
"I'll fight you," Sasuke said flatly, expressionlessly. "Just…get her to safety first."
"Worried about your little girlfriend getting hurt?" Midori mocked.
Sasuke growled and stepped closer.
Without missing a beat, the female Uchiha grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her close, pressing her katana against her neck. "You might find it in Sakura's best interests to back away. Now." Her voice was melted venom. Sasuke reluctantly took three steps back, still not relaxing his stance.
The sharpened blade was icy against Sakura's neck, and all of a sudden she was hyperaware of everything. Must be the adrenaline, she grimly surmised and tried her best not to shake. The tiniest movement could cause the blade to draw blood.
"What do you want?" Sasuke hissed, his eyes never leaving the katana. Watching, waiting, biding his time. An Uchiha strategy to be sure. A strategy that was almost foolproof…except he wasn't the only Uchiha in town anymore.
Complications.
"To be honest, I don't even know anymore." Midori's grip on the katana tightened ever so slightly.
Sakura's heart skipped a beat. Calm down, calm down, don't panic…
"What's the point of this, then?" Another emotionless question from the apathetic man facing her.
The reply was instantaneous and matter-of-fact. "To hurt you."
"You're not very good at this whole revenge thing, are you?"
"Unfortunately, that seems to be the case. As of now, that is."
Sakura wanted to scream. Here she was, a blade at her neck, and they were carrying on a pleasant conversation? For Kami's sake!
"…So where do we go from here?" Sasuke once again looked around, his eyes lingering on Sakura's frightened emerald orbs before nonchalantly sweeping the rest of the small room.
"We fight." Midori said. "What are you waiting for?"
"Remove your katana from her neck. Then we fight."
"Like hell I will. You're just going to grab your damsel in distress and run like the coward you are!"
Sasuke shrugged, but his eyes were burning. Being called a 'coward' was one of the grimmest insults you could direct at an Uchiha, next to 'stupid' and 'useless.' "You asked for it."
In a blur of motion, his sword was unsheathed and he was running at Midori, his sword crackling with the current of a blazing chidori.
Midori blinked and grabbed the oncoming sword casually, her grip on the katana that was pressed against Sakura's neck unfaltering. "Is that all, little boy?"
How…? Oh! The gloves! Sakura realized. The Chakra-Block gloves! They blocked off the Chidori and were strong enough to stop the Sword of Kusanagi without drawing blood, or even garnering a bruise. 'Gloves,' she mouthed at Sasuke. Sure, she was currently upset towards Sasuke, but that didn't mean she'd let him die. Not on her watch.
Almost imperceptibly, the raven-haired man nodded before tearing his katana from Midori's grip and leaping backwards.
"My turn," Midori whispered. In a flash of motion—without the slightest indication of what she was about to do—four shadow clones were at her side.
The clones each materialized two short katanas from who-knows-where and tossed them at a spot in the middle of the room. "Shi no ken'nomai!"
In a flash of blinding light, the eight swords flung across the room, on a path to impale their intended target. Instead, they imbedded into the wall opposite Midori and Sakura.
"Too slow." Sasuke was already across the room. "But I don't seem to recognize that jutsu."
"You shouldn't," Midori smirked. Her clones dissolved into puffs of smoke. "I created it."
"Such a simple sword trick?"
"Think again."
With a burst of formidable energy, the blades retracted from the wall and once again hurled at Sasuke. He dodged, but not fast enough.
A flicker of pain wavered across his face as he clutched his bleeding shoulder. In one fast movement, he tore off the sleeve of his shirt and staunched the wound. "Tsk."
"Why don't you use your Sharingan?" Midori asked with sincere curiosity. Sakura agreed. If he used the Sharingan and summoned the Amaterasu flames or Susanoo, it would be over in a heartbeat.
Sasuke scowled. "It's currently... incapacitated."
Midori laughed. "That makes it easier."
"Hn."
"You've become…domestic, Sasuke." She paused thoughtfully. "Nothing like your brother."
"Shut up." He snarled, murder in his eyes. Midori was no fool; she know she couldn't fight Sasuke with one hand incapacitated at Sakura's throat. She quickly grabbed chakra ropes from a nearby table and, with practiced expertise, tied them sturdily around Sakura's wrists. "Be a good girl and wait here while I take care of business."
Sakura struggled, but to no avail. The ropes easily sapped away her superhuman strength. Better to conserve my chakra for later, she determined. But for now, there's nothing I can do…
"Now, Sasuke, where were we?"
"I was just about to kill you," he suggested.
She just leered at him tauntingly. "Do your best."
"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" A huge fireball materialized and shot towards Midori.
"Suiton: Bakusui Shoha!" An equally large wave deflected and consumed the flaming sphere. Not allowing Sasuke another chance to gain the offensive, she attacked. "Kaminari tenohira sutoraiki!" She clenched her hands into fists and opened them. Two huge bursts of lightning exploded from her open palms.
"Chidori senbon!" Sasuke countered quickly. Hundreds of small, sharp senbon needles flew at the oncoming lightning strikes, effectively diffusing them.
Shit, if only he could use the Sharingan! Sakura thought. The battle was going nowhere; it was obvious that they were equal in strength and skill. The Sharingan—or lack thereof—would be the deciding factor.
Midori seemed to realize it too. With a wicked smile, she made a flurry of hand motions. "Konoyo no jigoku," a shower of large, jagged rocks started to rain down. One narrowly missed Sakura by mere centimeters. I should be okay, they don't seem to be coming too close to me.
"Sakura! Above you!"
With a gasp, she glanced up, just in time to spot the huge boulder quickly descending towards her head. It was too close.
She squeezed her eyes shut; hopefully, death would be quick and painless.
Good-bye, Sasuke.
A/N: Ahh, the battle was lame. Whatever, I did my best!
Midori's past is still a little murky (especially the part about her being a half-Haruno. Gasp, could she be related to Sakura?). I left it vague on purpose, so I can expand on it later.
Also I made up the names of some of Midori's justus, with the exception of the shadow clones and Suiton.
Shi no ken'nomai = Sword Dance of Death
Kaminari tenohira sutoraiki = Lightning Palm Strike
Konoyo no jigoku = Hell on Earth
You may have noticed that Midori used many different releases. For example, her suiton used Water Release and she also used Lightning Release and Earth Release. This will be explained later on…hopefully I won't forget haha.
Ugh I hate how I wrote this chapter but I don't want to redo it! This will probably be edited when I have the chance… Meh.
Review!
Thanks!
~HauntedMoonlight~